Serpa Holster Haters

And They’re Back!

They are always in search of new reasons to hate on the Serpa. What’s next?

 I remember when this holster was the greatest thing since sliced bread and very prominent instructors were using and selling the Serpa as top gear.

This time the Serpa Holster haters have found a new reason to add for hating this holster. I posted on the holster in the past. One of the example videos they provide shows the operator drawing the handgun and claims the finger went to trigger because it was too close to it. Not True! The draw was clean, and the holster was operated correctly. With a flat long trigger finger. The trigger finger lands on the frame when drawing the gun, just as it should. The shooter begins to orient to the target and the finger starts to the trigger well. Again, not the holster but maybe a training issue. Or is it appropriate in the context at the time?

Then they follow up with a video of the holster getting jammed up by debris which stops the operator from drawing. This occurs in training where there is a lot of dirt, sand and small rocks. Is it possible that this could happen? It is however unlikely in everyday use and operation. It is also unlikely in training. If you are rolling around in lots of loose debris on the range or wherever it could happen. Rare event! I have to wonder how many guns were having issues because of dirt and debris in this setting.

Another issue they give is that the holster can break and come free during force-on-force gun grab training. Well depending on the age of the gear it can fail. As plastics age they become more brittle. If someone is fighting and realistically working to get your gun a holster of any kind of holster can break and tear away. I have personally torn away other types of holsters and broken some in Force-on-Force training.

I had a personal experience with the Serpa holster, but it did not sway me from its use. I was training with Rob Pincus at the US Shooting Academy in Tulsa, OK. We were drilling for one hand reloads and malfunctions. I put the handgun in the holster in reverse position in order to support the gun and make it accessible to insert a loaded magazine. During the process of the drill the front sight caught the tension lever in the lock mechanism flipping it into an upward position. This lever is normally pointing down and comes in contact with the frame of the gun for tension. It shut everything down when I placed the gun in the holster in the right way. I removed the holster and gun from my person, and we inspected it. We found the tension lever was inverted and under higher pressure from contact with the trigger guard in the holster. This would not allow the release button to be operated. All we had to do was Push the gun down into the holster, press the retention release button with the long finger, and then lift the gun out of the holster. All it did was a greater retention level of the holster. This did not make it a bad holster.

Thousands upon thousands of Serpa holsters are used by civilians, Law Enforcement and military. Issues are rare for the number of these holsters in use. When they do occur it most often comes to a training issue. It is not a bad or dangerous holster if used correctly. Yes, there can be failures just as is the case with any mechanical devise. These holsters and others use mechanics to retain. Levers and catches and buttons. All can fail under the right conditions. Know your equipment and how it works and train with it! Training!